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Young women today want it all—and they believe they can have it
all, too. According to a study released today from the Pew
Research Center, more young women (ages 18 to 34) value “being
successful in a high-paying career or profession” compared to 15
years ago.

Two in three young women said their careers were “very important”
or “one of the most important things” to them, compared to 56
percent in 1997.

Far fewer older women (between ages 35 and 64) gave their careers
such a high ranking in their lives; just 42 percent said they
considered their careers to be “very important” or “one of the
most important things” to them. (Interestingly, the value young
men placed on their careers hardly budged since 1997; just under
60 percent considered their careers “very important” or “one of
the most important things” both times the question was asked.)

At the same time, young women said parenthood and marriage are
more important to them, too. More than 90 percent of both male
and female respondents ranked being a good parent as “very
important” or “one of the most important things” to them, and
more than 80 percent said the same about having a successful
marriage. The study’s authors, Eileen Patten and Kim Parker,
write, “the increased importance women are now placing on their
careers has not come at the expense of the importance they place
on marriage and family.”

The study also found that while women still earn less than men,
younger women face less inequity and the pay gap has lessened
over time. In 1979, women earned 62 percent of men’s earnings,
while today, they earn around 80 percent. That translates into
$669 median weekly earnings for women compared to $824 for men
(among full-time or salaried workers). Women ages 16 to 34 earn
90 percent of their male peers’ salary. “Women have tended to
fall behind men as their careers progress,” write the authors.

The study follows on the heels of a recent Pew study that showed
many 20-somethings are struggling in the current economy, and
delaying marriage and parenthood as a result. That survey found
that more than 80 percent of Americans believe it's harder for
young people to find jobs today than it was for their parents,
and that earnings for that age group (ages 18 to 24) have dropped
more than they have for older workers. While most young adults
surveyed said they can't currently afford the life they want, 9
in 10 said they will earn enough to live the life of their dreams
in the future.

Taken together, these reports suggest an ambitious and optimistic
group of 20-something workers who are determined to find success
their own way, despite the obstacles in their path. "In spite of
hardships, they do have a real sense of optimism," says Parker,
who is also associate director at Pew Research Center. The
recession, she adds, did not put a damper on young people's
optimism. "They feel they have so much time ahead of them and
that things will work out," she says.